Draftsman&#39;s equal spacing ruling instrument



1951 w. R. TUCKER 2,563;l99

DRAFTSMANS EQUAL SPACING RULING INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 11, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 7, 1951 2 DRAFTSMANS EQUAL SPACI-NG untrue INSTRUMENT 7 Warren R. Tucker, Mount Gilead, Ohio Application January 11, 1951, Serial No. 205,515

7 Glaims. (01. 33-110) This invention relates to improvements in drafting instruments, having particular reference to straight-edge devices employed in drawing straight parallel lines in the formation of me-'- chanicalor other engineering drawings.

' Theobject of this invention is to provide a drafting appliance to facilitate the application of section lining or the like to drawings.

Another object is to provide adra'wing board appliancewhich through normal operation can be caused to move a ruling-edge member a predetermined increment of travel in one direction as frequently as desired.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an attachment for drafting instruments of the type utilized as straight-edge devices, and wherein the attachment is formed with improved means for imparting incremental movement of an equalized character to a pen-guiding straightedge member thereof, whereby to aid at draftsinan in drawing cross-hatching, screw threads and other parallel lines so that such lines will appear on a drawing in equally spaced order, thereby presenting a neat, orderly and artistic appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a section-lining drafting instrument of simple, inexpensive and positively operating construction, and one which may be easily applied to the upper surface of the blade of a T-square or other straight-edge ruling device in a position enabling an angle member, or the like, to be advanced along the ruling edge of the blade in a manner enabling the user of the tool to draw equally spaced parallel lines.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof: Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a draftsmans T square, disclosing the blade thereof equipped with an equal-spacing attachment utilized by the present invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the attachment;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line III--III of Fig. 2;

c Fig. 4 is a similar .view on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional view on the line VV of Fig. 1;

Fig; 6 is a similar view" on the line VI'-VI of Fig. 1.

In. the specific example of my invention set forth in the accompanying drawing, there has been indicated at I, the blade of a T square, or other equivalent straight-edge device, which is adapted to'b'e used in association with a drawing board B, for the purpose of enabling a draftsman to produce stright lines on a drawing. In producing engineering drawings, it is not only necessary to form straight horizontal lines and perpendicular thereto, which can be readily done with the: use of the blade I, and also with an associated angle member, such as that indicated at 2, but' it is also necessary to draw parallel lines extending diagonally with respect to such horizontal andverticallines. Such parallel diagonal lines are most commonly encountered in applying to mechanical or other engineering drawings cross-hatching or line shadings of the character employed in indicatingcross-sectional configurations.

Usually, draftsmen employ the hypotenusal edge of a draftsmans triangle, such as that indicated at 2, in drawing such diagonal lines. In drawing cross hatchingjhowever, these diagonal lines must be spaced for best draftsmanship at equal distances with respect to each other. To present an orderly appearance, such spacing requires skill, time and effort on the part of the draftsman, and often the work is improperly performed. The present invention provides an attachment for T squares, straight-edge devices and the'like'by means of which equalized incremental movements may be imparted to a ruling angle member 2 in sliding the same along the straight edge 3 of the blade I, whereby to provide a mechanical aid inenabling a draftsman in producingfinely executed cross-sectional shading' In accordance with the present invention, the upper surface of the blade I is provided with a. removable attachment, comprising a longituinal extending rod 4, the latter having its ends received in sleeves 5 of brackets 6. Thesebrackets may be provided with depending pins I which are rem0vablypositioned in sockets or openings provided therefor in the blade I, thus enabling the attachment to be applied, atwill, to orremoved from the T square. 2,

The rod 4 isdetachably:fastenedto, the :parallel' attachment or T'square by the means disclosedor their equivalent, and is preferably of the samewhich is pivoted as at l2 one end of a link |3, the

other end of said link being pivotally connected as at 4 with the body of the triangular'rul ing member, indicated at 2.

The pivoting pin H, which is carried by the triangular member 2, may, if desirecLbe loosely received in the opening provided in the'outer end of the link |3, so that the triangle may -bedisconnected from the attachment whenever de-' sired..- The attachment may turn about the axis of the rod 4, so that the same may be positioned when not in use in an out-of-the-way location, enabling the T square or the like to be employed in an ordinary manner.

Slidably mounted on the rod 4 is a rod-clamping member, including a piston IS, the latter being contained within an internal chamber I6 provided in the barrel 8. A coil spring, indicated at ||,-is also positioned in said barrel and surrounds the rod 4, the same being confined between one end of the piston I and the cup or cap ||I of the barrel 8. In this instance, the .piston l5 includes a plurality of relatively separable forwardly projecting resilient rod-gripping fingers I8, the latter extending parallel with the rod 4 and terminate at their outer ends in lugs l9 having conically tapered faces 20, the latter being disposed for engagement with the walls of a complemental conical socket 2| formed in a freely slidable actuating collar 22 mounted on said rod beyond the barrel.

Threaded on the outer part of the barrel 8 is an adjustable stop sleeve 23 and a lock nut 24, the sleeve being employed to vary the spacing, indicated by the gap G, formed between the collar 22-and the adjacent end of the sleeve, and which spacing controls, in part, the distance between parallel lines drawn with the aid of the at tachment.

In the operation of the instrument, the draftsman's left hand is usually placed on the top of the blade I is a manner overlapping the lower edgeof the angle 2. The forefingers of the draftsmansleft hand are then placed over the collar 22, and the palm ofthe draftsmans hand engages the cap shown at II] to hold the latter against sliding movement on the rod 4. By flexing the fingers, the collar is moved longitudinally on the rod 4 until the walls of its conical socket 2| engage and grip the tapered outer fingers I8 and IQ of the piston 5, thereby looking or securing the rod-clamping piston against longitudinal movement on the rod 4. The draftsman then presses forwardly with the palm of his hand on the cap l0, compressing the spring l1, and slidably moving the' cap together withthe angle member 2. This movement is continued until the slee e 23 closes the gap G and contacts the inner face of the collar 22, at which time the draftsman uses the hypotenusal edge of the angle member 2 for the purpose of drawing a straight line. The collar is then released in order to allow thesame' and the 'piston'l5 to respond to the expansion ofthe' spring l'l'gmovi'ng the piston and the collar forwardly and longitudinally on the rod 4 to assume a new operating position, and thereafter the cycle is repeated.

In this operation, it will be noted that the draftsman holds the triangle 2 against the T square or parallel attachment with the side of his left hand. The first and second fingers are placed over the collar 22 having the conical socket 2| therein, and through finger action the collar is moved longitudinally on the rod to pull the same sufficiently so that the walls of the socket 2| press against the mating collet formed by the finger lugs l9, causing the collet to grip the rod and to hold the piston in place thereon. The palm Of the draftsmans hand and the two forefingers are then used to collapse or partially compress the spring H, which effects the movement of the cap l0 and the angle members to which the cap is linked, as indicated at I2, I3 and. I4... .When the triangle assumes a position providing for the drawing of a single straight line in a desired position, the forefingers are removed from the collar 22, allowing the spring I! to expand and cause the parts to assume a new position, permitting of repeating of the cycle of operation.

The use of this attachment enables draftsmen to space section-indicating and similar lines on drawings with marked accuracy, permitting such spacing to be accomprished virtually automatically and without exercise of any high degree of skill or care on the part of the draftsman.

While I have described my equal-spacing parallel ruler as being mounted on the blade of a T square or the like, it will be understood that the same may be employed independently if it should be so desired by arranging the rod 4 on its own base. i I r Therefore. while the invention has been described in considerable detail in one of its preferred forms, itwill be understood that variationsor modifications may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

.1 claim: V I 1. A drafting appliance for facilitating the drawing of equally spaced parallel lines, comprising: a base-carried rod, a barrel member havmg an internal chamber slidably positioned on said rod, a straight edge device joined with said barrel member, a clamp-slidable on said rod, said clamp being formed at one end thereof with a head arranged in said barrel member and constituting a spring seat, said clamp being further formed with a longitudinally extendingslitted shank, the latter including a plurality of gripping fingers, the outer ends of whichbeingprovided "with tapering surfaces, a coil spring positioned in the chamber of said barrel member and disposed for compression between the head of said clamp and one end of the internal chamber of said barrel member, a collar freely slidable on said rod in spaced relation'from saidbarrel, said collar being formed with a socket having tapering walls adapted for gripping engagement with the tapered'surfaces of said clamp fingers, and adjustable stop means carried by said barrel" member, said stop means being normally spaced from said collar and enga'geable with the latter uponbompres'sion of said spring in response to manually applied forces moving saidbarrel member toward said collar.

2. A' drafting appliance for fa'cilitating a; drawing of equally spaced parallel lines, com-- prising: a base-mounted rod, an externally threaded barrel member having an internal chamber, said member being slidably positioned on said rod for movement longitudinally thereof, a straight-edge ruling member connected with said barrel member, a rod-clamping spring abutment member slidably mounted on said rod and arranged within said chamber, said abutment member being further formed with a longitudinally extending slitted shank forming a plurality of gripping fingers which project exteriorly of the barrel member, the outer ends of said fingers being provided with tapering surfaces, a coil spring positioned in the chamber of said barrel member for compression between the head end of said abutment member and one end of said barrel member, a collar freely slidable on said rod exteriorly of and in spaced relation from said barrel member, said collar being formed with a substantially frusto-conical socket disposed for gripping engagement with the tapered surfaces of said fingers to retain said abutment member in a fixed position on said rod, and an adjustable stop device carried by the exteriorly threaded portion of said barrel member, said device being engageable with said collar when the latter occupies a relatively fixed position on the tapered fingers of said abutment member to control incrementally sliding movement of the barrel member on said rod and of the straight edge ruling member carried by the barrel member.

3. A drafting appliance for facilitating the drawing of equally spaced parallel lines, comprising: a base-mounted rod, a barrel member slidable longitudinally on said rod, a straightedge ruling device movable in unison with said barrel member, a clamping head slidably mounted on said rod and positioned in said barrel member, a coil spring positioned between one end of said head and said barrel member, said head including a shank slitted longitudinally to provide a plurality of resiliently movable rodclamping fingers, the latter having their outer ends formed with tapering surfaces, a collar slidably mounted on said rod adjacent to the outer ends of said fingers, said collar being formed with a frusto-conical socket positioned to receive the tapered ends of the fingers and upon movement of said head relative to said collar to cause the latter to force said fingers into gripping engagement with said rod, and a stop member adjustable longitudinally of the barrel member, said stop member being normally spaced from said collar and capable of engaging with the latter upon compression of said spring in response to manually executed longitudinal movement applied to the barrel member while said collar is held in a relatively stationary position on said fingers.

4. An equal-spacing straight-edge device for the drawing of parallel lines, comprising: a horizontally disposed longitudinally extending basemounted rod, a barrel member slidably mounted for longitudinal movement on said rod, said mem-- her being formed with an internal chamber, a straight-edge ruling device carried by and movable in unison with said barrel member, a clamping head mounted for longitudinal movement on said rod, a coil spring positioned between one end of said head and said barrel member, manually controlled means mounted on said rod for maintaining said clamping head in definite position on said rod in response to manually applied forces operating on said barrel'member in controlling compression of said spring, and an adjustable stop device mounted on said barrel member, said device being movable relative to the manually controlled means for actuating said clamping head to regulate incrementally the extent of sliding movement of said barrel member and the straight-edge device carried thereby.

5. A drafting appliance of the character set forth, comprising: a longitudinally extending base member, a barrel device slidably mounted on said base member, a straight-edge rule carried by and movable in unison with said barrel device, a clamping head slidably mounted on said base member, spring means disposed between said barrel device and said clamping head, a finger-controlled stop collar slidably mounted on said base member, adjustable stop means carried by said barrel device, said stop means being engageable with said collar to limit incremental manually executed sliding movement of said barrel device on said base member against the resistance of said spring means, and said collar operating as a movement-limiting device to control sliding movement of said clamping head in response to forces applied thereto by said spring means and longitudinal movement of said barrel device.

6. A drafting appliance as set forth in claim 5 and wherein said barrel member is provided at one end with a flange for limiting outward movement of said clamping head when said collar is released and said spring means caused to expand.

7. A drafting appliance of the character set forth, comprising: a rod mounted stationarily on the top of an associated drawing board straight-edge device for movement in unison therewith, an externally threaded barrel slidably positioned on said rod, said barrel being formed with an internal chamber, a straight edge ruling device carried by and movable in unison with said barrel, a rod-clamping head positioned in said barrel and confined for movement in the chamber thereof between the ends of said barrel, a spring positioned between one end of said barrel and said head and urging the latter in a longitudinal direction on said rod toward the other end of the barrel, said head being formed with an external shank slitted longitudinally to present a multiplicity of relatively movable rod-clamping fingers, the outer ends of said fingers being formed with tapered surfaces arranged exteriorly of said barrel, a manually controlled collar slidable on said rod in spaced relation from said barrel, said collar being formed with a frusto-conical socket disposed for gripping engagement with the tapered surfaces of said fingers, and an internally threaded adjustable sleeve carried by the external threads of said barrel for adjusting movement-regulating distance of separation of the collar from said barrel.

WARREN R. TUCKER.

No references cited. 

